SF Giants lose speedy infielder, multi-positional catcher on waivers

A pair of players who were on waivers gained some clarity on Thursday. According to the team's transaction log, the SF Giants lost both Otto López and Cooper Hummel on waivers to the Miami Marlins and Houston Astros, respectively.

SF Giants lose speedy infielder, multi-positional catcher on waivers

Hummel was designated for assignment on Opening Day during a wave of moves that tends to take place around that time of year. The Giants were hoping that they could sneak him through waivers, but that did not come to fruition.

The Giants added Hummel in a trade with the New York Mets this past offseason. It was the most predictable move for a lot of reasons including Hummel being a switch-hitting, multi-positional catcher with a minor league option remaining. Plus, he previously played for the Seattle Mariners, which seems to be a box that the Giants often check with their moves.

The 29-year-old catcher has struggled to the tune of a .551 OPS in parts of two seasons in the majors. However, his numbers in the minors have been much better as he has recorded an .843 OPS in seven minor league seasons.

The Giants' depth on the 40-man roster has been worn down quickly with both Hummel and Joey Bart departing the organization. That leaves Patrick Bailey, Tom Murphy, and Blake Sabol as the only options on the 40-man roster.

On the other hand, López was designated for assignment to make room for Nick Avila. The speedy infielder was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays right before spring training got underway. He was competing with Tyler Fitzgerald for the utility role with the latter winning the competition.

López has excellent contact skills but with limited power upside. He does have experience at several positions including second base, shortstop, and center field. It felt like he would have a chance to find a role for the Giants and they were hoping he would clear waivers just as they had hoped with Hummel. However, the 25-year-old lands with a Marlins team that could lead to some unexpected playing time.

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